Party, policy leaders take key positions in fight over health overhaul's future

In a battle that has near- and long-term implications, party leaders flex their muscles. Meanwhile, centrists launch a new program to advance the development of state exchanges.

McClatchy: A Key Player In Health Law's Passage, Clyburn Fights Repeal
On the eve of Wednesday's scheduled vote to repeal the health care overhaul, the third-ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives castigated Republicans for moving to overturn the signature legislative achievement of President Barack Obama. Rep. Jim Clyburn and South Carolina's new Republican lawmakers squared off Tuesday over the GOP-led House bid to repeal the historic bill Clyburn helped guide to passage last year (Rosen, 1/18).

National Journal: Cantor Challenges Reid To Allow Repeal Vote In The Senate
Promises of greater civility notwithstanding, old-fashioned congressional smack talk was quickly back in vogue Tuesday, as House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., wasted no time in challenging Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., to allow a Senate vote on the GOP's health care repeal bill, if Reid really was so sure it would not pass (House, 1/19).

The Hill: Healthcare's Umpire Says He Will Strike Back At Spin In Repeal Debate
Medicare's chief actuary, a referee in the contentious healthcare reform debate, says he won't hesitate to strike back at anyone who twists his analysis of the controversial law (Pecquet and Cusack, 1/19).

The Fiscal Times: Health Care Repeal Fades as Centrists Take Stage
Republicans contend that the law is overly intrusive and that it will drive up the deficit and destroy jobs. But a bipartisan group of former senators and high-level health political operatives launched a new program to help states organize viable health insurance exchanges, the centerpieces of the effort to provide coverage for the uninsured and small businesses under the law. While the state-based exchanges won't begin operating until late 2014, efforts to get them up and running are already underway in many states. ... To help them iron out problems encountered along the way, the Bipartisan Policy Center recruited two former Senate majority leaders, Democrat Tom Daschle and Republican Bill Frist.The center's Health Project also corralled Sheila Burke, Republican Sen. Bob Dole's former chief of staff, and Chris Jennings, who was former President Bill Clinton's top health care aide (Goozner, 1/19).